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Oklahoma State football: Why Houston is important to the Cowboys

Mike Gundy has made his feelings known about playing Mississippi State on a neutral field in Oklahoma State's season opener. He's not exactly thrilled about the whole thing.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL / SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI: OKLAHOMA STATE vs. SO. MISSISSIPPI in the HOUSTON BOWL at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. Oklahoma State head coach Les Miles joins his players in singing the school's alma mater on the field after his team's 33-23 win over the University of Southern Mississippi in the Houston Bowl on Dec. 27, 2002. Staff photo by Jim Beckel.

But if the Cowboys are going to start 2013 away from Boone Pickens Stadium, they might as well play in a city that features OSU banners greeting travelers at the airport.

Houston has become a bit of a second home for OSU, a prime recruiting ground and a place where the Cowboys captured a key bowl win more than a decade ago that helped spark their rise to national prominence under Les Miles and Gundy.

And Reliant Stadium should provide an exciting atmosphere Saturday afternoon, featuring the raucous ringing of cowbells from Bulldog fans, high tech video boards in an NFL stadium and the contrasting playing styles of the Big 12 and SEC.

All these current and former Oklahoma State players hail from the Houston area, a recruiting ground in talent-rich Texas that has been especially good to the Cowboys during the past decade. And playing in the city's NFL venue in a marquee nonconference game against SEC foe Mississippi State on the season's opening weekend will only give the OSU more exposure.

That, Gundy admits, does have its benefits, even if he would rather be playing a cupcake opponent in Stillwater on Saturday.

“I think everyone would agree with that,” Gundy said. “We've had a lot of success recruiting in Houston and central Texas and the San Antonio area. So if you're gonna play on the road, which is not easy — we'd always prefer to play at home, especially to start the season — we might as well play in Texas.”

For years, former assistant Joe DeForest manned the Houston turf for the Cowboys before departing to join Dana Holgorsen's staff at West Virginia following the 2011 season. Now, the OSU staff includes Van Malone, who is from Houston and began his coaching career in the high school ranks there. So far, six of OSU's 20 commitments for the 2014 class are from the Houston area.

But Saturday, the OSU-MSU matchup will also serve as a Homecoming of sorts for many current Cowboys. Even for those who come from other parts of east Texas, such as receiver and Bullard product Charlie Moore.

“My whole family will be at the game,” Moore said. “It's not a long drive. My best friend and my brother are going to be making the trip. It's going to be really cool. I can't wait to play there.”

LOOKING BACK: THE 2002 HOUSTON BOWL

Oklahoma State rallied into the Houston Bowl in 2002, climbing back from a 2-4 start to earn the program's first postseason bid in five years.

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